Neeps & Tatties Soup

You might be wondering what in the world "neeps & tatties" are. Turn'eeps and Po'tatties, of course! I've been on a good-for-you soup escapade that has had some delicious results. It all started with a book by vegetarian cookbook author, Anna Thomas. Love Soup is my favourite book this week, but you may also know her by her very popular book The Vegetarian Epicure.

The first step to the soup is making a quick vegetable stock. I make countless pots of chicken stock throughout the year, but I rarely make veggie stocks. I think I've found a good reason to turn over a new leaf! For my veggie stock I used: onions (with their brown skins on for added colour), celery, carrots, leeks, fresh tarragon, 1 clove of garlic, parsley, and the stems from a bunch of kale. Cover all of the above with cold water and simmer for 45 minutes. I think the bunch of tarragon that I threw in really pumped up the flavour.

I must admit that turnips aren't my usual veggie of choice, but this soup is so much more than just turnip. It is savory and creamy and just plain good.

Neeps & Tatties Soup

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
1 pound turnips
1 tsp fine sea salt
2 large leeks, white and light green parts
2 Tbsp butter
4 cups veggie stock
Freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp whipping cream
Extra virgin olive oil

Peel and chop the potatoes and turnip into half-inch dice. Place the potatoes and turnip in a large stock pot. Cover with 4 cups of cold water, and a teaspoon of salt, and bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. 
Meanwhile, trim and thoroughly wash the leeks. Dice the white and light green parts of the leeks. Melt the butter in a large skillet and cook the leeks over medium heat, stirring often, for about 10 minutes. Add them to the potatoes and turnips and simmer another 10 minutes. Add the veggie stock.
Puree the soup in batches in a blender or with an immersion blender. Be careful not to overprocess. Return the soup to a clean pot and bring it back to a simmer. Taste the soup and add more salt if needed. Grind in plenty of black pepper and add the cream.
Bring to a simmer until it is just heated through. Garnish each bowl with swirl of olive oil.